Ben Model's poignant animation is an ode to the cycle of life
Sea You is the latest project from director and filmmaker Ben Brand. The idea for this came to him through a loss story. "When my friend told me the story of her family throwing her late grandmother's ashes across the sea, as many people around the world do, I wondered what actually happened to all that ashes. Then I started doing that To write history. "
The film begins with a woman who is sitting alone at her table eating dinner. What is happening is a series of poignant events that are all interconnected. As the writer and director of the short film, the Dutch brand worked with a team of people to bring the story to life. "First we did the entire film in 3D and at the same time we started developing the paint-like look," he says of the aesthetics of the film. “One movie I had in mind in terms of style was the father and daughter of Michael Dudok de Wit. He painted this film frame by frame and it became so tangible and vulnerable at the same time that I really loved it. The last frame in my film is also an ode to this film. "
Screen shot of Sea You directed by Ben Brand
What stands out about Sea You is the way it is recorded in reverse. Instead of being a confusing element of the movie, this choice actually strengthens the narrative. "Believe it or not, the film was actually released in chronological order in all of Pathé's theaters (which helped fund the film)," notes Brand.
“When I was doing Sea You, I was doing live action too, so some things I wanted to try, like reverse story telling, were lost in the fire. But just a few weeks before Sea You went online, I started to wonder again about it and decided to edit it again on my laptop. This was the movie that is currently online. "
The result is a moving homage to the cycle of life and a reminder that ultimately everything is connected. “For me the biggest challenge was telling the story correctly. Chronologically, the film focused more on the woman who ended up eating the fish and how dirty it actually was, ”says Brand. "But told backwards, the film focused more on the cycle of feeling about life, which is what I wanted and hoped for."
The reason Brand chose to animation the film was because of the freedom he and the team had. "I prefer to tell stories in a way that I would otherwise not have been able to tell live," says Brand. "On a technical level, I like this animation that lets you imagine and create anything you dream of. The only downside for me is that you have to lock everything down pretty quickly, which makes it difficult to try different things." Even so, Sea You is a beautifully considered animation that demonstrates the value of combining thoughtful ideas with strong craftsmanship.
Screen shot of Sea You directed by Ben Brand
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